Senate Passes Collins, Heitkamp Resolution Designating April as National Donate Life Month

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) announced today that their bipartisan resolution designating April 2018 as National Donate Life Month passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate.

The resolution aims to help raise awareness about how organ donations can save lives and helps encourage individuals to register as organ donors.  Today, there are more than 114,000 people waiting for an organ donation that could save their lives.  Each day about 20 people die while waiting for this life saving gift and another individual is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 10 minutes.

“Last year, nearly 35,000 transplant procedures were performed in the United States thanks to the selfless actions by organ donors.  In addition to saving lives, individuals who choose to be organ donors help advance medical technology and procedural techniques,” said Senator Collins. “This resolution recognizes each individual who has helped to give the gift of life by supporting, promoting, and encouraging organ donation.” 

“Many Americans, wouldn’t hesitate to help out a friend, a family member, or a member of their community,” said Senator Heitkamp. “Yet it’s easy to forget to check the box designating yourself as an organ donor when you’re renewing your driver’s license. Encouraging more folks to register as an organ donor and donate organs to those in need will literally save lives.  And by highlighting this issue through National Donate Life Month, it’s our goal to raise awareness and hopefully help more people receive the donations they need.”

Those who are interested in becoming an organ donor can register at OrganDonor.gov. Registering can also be as simple as changing your donor status on your driver’s license which can be done online or by visiting your local Department of Motor Vehicles.